Improvement in car-couplings



S. A. OTIS.

4 Car-Couplings. No. 143,459. ParentedocLLwm.

UNrrED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. OTIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,459, dated October 7, 1873; application filed May 6, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. OTIs, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Shackle-Pin for Cars, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to prevent the shackle-pin of a car from being thrown out of place by the jar or shock of the ear, also, to some extent, to prevent mischievous people from drawing it, and thus causing accidents.

The nature of the invention consists in combining with the pin a toggle-latch or grapple to lock it in place.

Figure l shows in elevation the draw-bar of a car with one of my pins. Fig. 2 shows the same in section.

Let H represent the draw-bar of a ear made in the ordinary manner, except the addition of the small collar and iiange h h. The pin A A has a central hole through it, as shown in Fig. 2. Through the center of the pin A A I pass a rod, B, `which has at the top a head, C. D D1 D2 D3 are four toggle-pieces united to each other, and at the lower end E to the pin A, as shown. The upper end of the toggle is united to the lower end of the rod Bat R. When the rodB is in the position represented in Fig. l, then the arms of the toggle D D1 D2 D1l project, as shown, so that the pin A cannot come out of the draw-bar. But if the rod B be rst drawn up it will cause the toggle D D1 D2 D3 to assume the position indicated in Fig. 2, and

thus leave the pin free to pass up through the hole in the draw-bar. To double-lock the pin I have the following-described device: K and K are bent grapples hung at L and L to the head O of the rod B. These grapples K and Kl are connected by the links N N and loop O to the chain or rope l). The lower ends of the grapples engage with the flange h h on the draw-bar H, and thus hold the pin A in place. To unlock the grapple it is only necessary to pull the chain or rope P. This action throws the lower ends out and frees them from the flange h 7L on the draw-bar H, and admits of the withdrawal of the pin. It is the doubleloeking of the pin that I rely upon for preventing mischievously-mclined persons from drawing the pin.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the pin A with th toggle D D1 D2 D3 and rod B, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the pin A with the grapple K K and draw-head having the iiange h h, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the grapple K K and the pin A with'the toggle D D1 D2 D3 and the rod B, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL A. OTIS.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. PARKER, WILLIAM EDsoN. 

